Thursday after the Second Sunday after the Epiphany of our Lord
Posted on January 21, 2021 by under
Scripture: St. Matthew 5:17-26 (NKJV)
5:17 “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. 18 For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. 19 Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.
21 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire. 23 Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25 Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. 26 Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny.
Devotion
The Law and the Prophets are not worthless. They are still the Word of God, and they remain valuable for teaching and wisdom in Christ’s Church. False teachers use them in a destructive way when they lead people to believe there is salvation in trying to keep the Law; that is where the Law and the Prophets have no value. Salvation is only in the Gospel of Jesus Christ and His fulfillment of the Law for our sake! The Law and the Prophets cannot save us, but they can help us to learn and grow in the righteousness that is ours in Christ’s Gospel.
Unfortunately there are still those who teach men to ignore the commandments of God. False teachers encourage various forms of “antinomianism”, which rejects the purposes of God’s Law for Christians. They reject discipline and the need for repentance. They teach that sins and false doctrine can be tolerated as long as the offender says he believes in the Gospel.
But our Lord preached the Law and the Gospel; He teaches us to sin no more, and to repent when we do sin. He teaches us to keep His commands and believe in Him for the forgiveness that we need often, which is why we are also taught to eat, drink, and remember the forgiveness that is given in the Sacrament of His Body and Blood! The Law and Prophets are not destroyed or made worthless; they are made clear according to their purpose in our Savior’s fulfillment of all righteousness for our sake!
Prayer: Almighty and Everlasting God, who dost govern all things in Heaven and Earth, mercifully hear the supplications of Thy people and grant us Thy peace all the days of our life; through Jesus Christ, Thy son, our Lord. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
